NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City Marathon returned after a one-year absence with big crowds, heightened security and a familiar champion.

Geoffrey Mutai successfully defended his title Sunday, while fellow Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo came from behind to win the women’s race. Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba finished runner-up for the second straight time in her hometown event.

Fans again packed the 26.2-mile course, undaunted by the events of the past year. The 2012 NYC Marathon was cancelled because of the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, but not before many New Yorkers were enraged by initial plans to hold the race.

After the bombings at April’s Boston Marathon, bomb-sniffing dogs roamed the course, and barricades limited access points to Central Park. A record 50,740 runners started the race through the five boroughs.

Mutai pulled away around Mile 22 and beat Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede by 52 seconds. On a windy morning, Mutai’s time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds was well off his course record of 2:05:06 set in nearly perfect conditions two years ago. He’s the first man to repeat in New York since Kenya’s John Kagwe in 1997-98.

Kebede, the London Marathon champ, clinched the US$500,000 bonus for the World Marathon Majors title. South Africa’s Lusapho April was third.

Meanwhile Jeptoo trailed Deba by nearly 3 1/2 minutes at the halfway point. But she started making her move as the race entered Manhattan and passed the Ethiopian with just over two miles to go.

Jeptoo, the 2012 Olympic silver medallist and 2013 London Marathon Champ, won in 2:25:07 to clinch the US$500,000 World Marathon Majors bonus.

The women’s race played out almost identically to the last NYC Marathon two years ago. But this time, Deba was the pursued, not the pursuer.

In 2011, Mary Keitany pulled away to a big early lead, and Deba and countrywomen Firehiwot Dado chased her down. Dado, who won that day, was 14th on Sunday as the defending champ.